Rainbow Dash's Christmas Carol: ( Read Starshine before you read this)
by StarRosie
Summary: Before Starshine found out about her curse, Duskstorm dares Starry on Hearth's Warming eve to attempt a sonic rainboom. Rainbow Dash grounds Starry and breaks her guitar. Now with the help of ghost Lightning Dust, she must learn a lesson too big for anypony to handle. The lesson of trust. Now Rainbow must meet three spirits on her quest to apologize to Starry before 12!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Merry Christmas! So this Christmas one- shot is inspired by what happened to me this week. I hope you guys like it! This story takes place in the Starshine universe when Starry is in Middle school years. But sadly this story doesn't star Starry, it stars Rainbow Dash.**

**The song Starry sings is a short parody of "All about that bass"**

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Rainbow's P.O.V

In all the times I had be terrified, this was the worst time because I had to ask this one question that I never had to ask before.

Where. Was. Starshine?

I had gone to pick her up at Elements of Harmony Middle School, but when all the kids came out, she wasn't one of them. Starry was always the first one out when school ended, you could see her flying above the rest of the kids. I could pick out my daughter easily because she stood out with her thick black glasses and short flowing blue mane…

"_Everyponys' getting long manes Mom!" Starry had said. "I want to grow mine out or else I'll never fit in!"_

"_Starry, you're mane is beautiful" I pointed out._

"_You've never been teased about how short your mane is Mom, you wouldn't understand" Starry said, ending the conversation._

Anyway, I looked all over for Starshine, but I couldn't find her. Come to think of it, I couldn't see Duskstorm either. It started to snow. It was Hearth's Warming Eve, Starry's favorite holiday. However the snow made it difficult to see. But I looked again. Where was Twilight?

I instantly dashed upwards to the clear blue and looked around for Twilight's Tree Castle. I spotted it instantly on the hill, and flew towards it.

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Starshine's P.O.V

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked Dusk at the top of the _really_ tall cloud mountain she had made. It WAS FREEZING UP HERE.

"Starry, think about it!" the blue unicorn exclaimed. "The second pegasus EVER to do a sonic rainboom!"

Duskstorm was twelve years old like me. She was violet-dark blue with a pale, purple, and wild mane she wore in a ponytail... no pun intended. Dusk had dark purple eyes and her cutiemark was a purple cloud with a lightning bolt. The lightning bolt had pegasai wings on both sides.

"Still…" I mumbled, looking down from the great height. "Why can't we just play video games instead of this?"

"Video games are a waste of time!" Dusk insisted. "I mean, they're fun in all but my Mom says that they poison your brain. Sometimes she can be a real hardhead, but she's still my Mom. Anyway, we can play video games later, after the rainboom. Plus, you can't disappoint those ponies…" Dusk tilted her head towards the edge of the mountain.

"What do you mean by… oh…" My sentence cut off as I looked over the edge… my eyes widened in horror.

It looked like the whole school was in the town square of Ponyville, plus a few other residents minding their own business, to see what was going on. They were all looking up at the Cloud Mountain waiting expectantly for my sonic rainboom.

I screamed slightly before crouching low against the cloud.

"Dusk? Did you tell the WHOLE school?" I asked.

"More like ALL of Ponyville! Come on Starry, you got this!" Dusk encouraged.

I suddenly felt my confidence rise in. I slowly walked towards the edge and looked down.

The ponies stopped talking and looked up at me.

I sighed, and leaped off the mountain of clouds. If my Mom could do it, so could I.

My eyes started to water and my hoofs burned. Oh Celestia, it burned! My hoofs had fire on them... I screamed as I tried to wave my hoofs to get the fire out. But it made it worst! I flipped forwards, and kept flipping… so fast!

"AHHHH! SOMEPONY HELP ME!" I screamed.

I was falling to my death, but suddenly I landed on a blue flash. I had shut my eyes… then, I heard a BOOM! I opened my eyes… I was safe!

Feeling safer, I looked down. It was my Mom! She had saved me! She, the rainbow maned Pegasus, took to the skies and I hung on. And that wasn't all: my Mom had saved me with a sonic rainboom! Whenever I mentioned the sonic rainboom to Mom, she would say doing those kinds of things were stupid and would get yourself killed. But to see a REAL sonic rainboom in person was cool! NO… AWESOME! A rainbow was somehow attached to my mother's tail, and she led it upwards as I turned around and saw the rainbow boom!

Everypony cheered as Rainbow Dash landed on the ground!

As I got off her back I said "Thanks Mom! If you hadn't come, I would've…"

I trailed off as I saw my Mom's unpleasant angry face. I hated when she did that… I laughed nervously.

Dusk carefully ran down a staircase of clouds towards me. "Starry? Are you ok?"

"I… I think so" I answered.

"WE ARE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL!" My Mom screamed when she looked at my hooves, burnt to a crisp.

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I fidgeted as Nurse Redheart touched my hooves.

Like Rainbow I also had sensitive hoofs… they hurt so bad. The Nurse was white with a light pink mane in a bun under her nurse hat. Her tail was also in a bun and she had blue dark eyes.

"Ow" I whispered.

"It hurts?" Nurse Redheart asked.

"Yeah" I replied.

"Like mother, like daughter" The nurse smiled at Rainbow. Rainbow looked away. My Mom was NOT happy, so the nurse diverted her eyes.

The Nurse started touching my wings: they were burnt too.

My eyes were wide with pain.

"Ok, I'll stop with that" The Nurse said and she stopped touching them. Then she touched my hind hoofs, which were also burned.

"Uh huh" Nurse Redheart said, and turned to Rainbow.

"WELL?" My mom asked angrily.

"She'll be fine, all she needs is rest and a bandage on the parts that hurt most. Try to put ice under the bandage" Nurse Redheart replied.

"But isn't there something else you can do?" Rainbow asked.

"No, Starry will only heal in time" Nurse Redheart said.

"Fine. Starry, we're leaving" Rainbow said sternly.

Without another word, my mom and I were gone.

"Sometimes I worry about that pony" Nurse Redheart mumbled, watching Rainbow storm off with her daughter.

"Happy Hearth's warming!" The Nurse called to Rainbow.

The rainbow maned Pegasus didn't answer, or even look back…

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Rainbow's P.O.V

"Starshine, you're grounded" I said as I carried Starshine. My hoofs were under her elbows and we flew towards the cloud home.

"Mom, I can explain Dusk"

"I don't care about Dusk! Dusk isn't what I'm worried about. Stop blaming things on somepony else instead of yourself!" I screamed.

"Celestia Mom, there's no need to yell"

"I'M NOT YELLING!"

"YES YOU ARE!"

"The point is, you tried to do a sonic rainboom at a very young age... and you are not allowed at Duskstorm's. You know better Starry!" I said.

"Oh, contraire" Starry said with a devilish smile. "We weren't _at_ Dusk's house"

I groaned in anger. "I am sick of your games Starshine!"

Starry always did this! Pranks and annoying side comments. Even though she was so shy in kindergarten, she soon grew out of it. But ponies still teased her mane and blank flank. Starry would get deeply effected whenever somepony teased her. She would try to fight back, but the other ponies would laugh and walk away. Starry was kind of acting like Dis….

My thoughts trailed off.

"Well, some games can be fun!" Starry said. "Why aren't you fun?"

"I don't have time for fun" I said. "You are in big trouble, young filly!"

"I'm sorry"

" Sorry doesn't take back the health insurance money I had just spent because of you. Sorry doesn't make Soarin' magically appear from his Saddle Arriba business trip. Sorry doesn't fix your wings. Yeah, like sorry is going to help"

We got to the cloud house.

"You can't write any more songs for a week!" I said.

"A WEEK!"

"That means none"

Just when I said that, Starry covered her hoofs over her ears and flew (sort of, but enough to get around) into the house screaming:

"LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!"

I followed her to continue my sentence. "No playing the guitar, no piano, no…"

I followed her up the stairs to her room.

Starry turned around mad. "IT WASN'T MY IDEA!"

"I DON'T CARE!" I screamed. "YOU DID IT! THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS! NOW GO TO YOU'RE ROOM!"

"IN CASE YOU HAVN'T NOTICED, I'M IN MY ROOM! AND I _AM_ GOING TO PLAY MY GUITAR! OH WAIT, I HAVE INSPIRATION FOR A SONG ALREADY!" Starshine yelled, grabbing her dark blue guitar and playing it.

"_Because I have a mean mean mean mom, mean mean mom, she's no fun. I have a mean mean mean mom, mean mean mom, she's no fun!" _she sang.

"YOU AREN'T PLAYING THAT GUITAR!" I yelled while she sang.

"WATCH ME!" Starshine was just about to start playing it again when I grabbed it angrily with my mouth and threw it across the room. It broke as it bounced off the wall and landed on the floor.

I instantly regretted it. "Starry, I…"

Starshine looked at med. She had a look I hadn't seen in a long time: heartbreak. Backing away she said, "You're a monster!" and she turned and flew out of the room.

Knowing Starshine, she would leave the house and find the highest cloud to lay down on and cry.

I suddenly felt something inside me… I didn't like it… a painful feeling… that caused me to cry. Everypony used to say that Rainbow Dash was the type of mare who would never cry. But now the dam broke and I burst out crying. What has happened to me? I used to be awesome… I used to be a daredevil. Heck, I used to be a wonderbolt! Until _he _came along and changed everything. He stalked my dreams… he ruined me. He took away my happiness, and took away my courage.

Now all this leading to this, with my daughter and I fighting. I longed to tell her the truth about her curse, but she wasn't ready. I kept crying. I didn't know how to be a parent! I loved Starry truly, and her safety comes before mine. I'm always so protective and paranoid about her.

I shook these thoughts off and stopped crying. These were hard times for my family, but whatever happens from here, I will never let anything or anyone hurt Starshine.

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Starry had come home. She had red eyes and a messy mane. That's what happens when she cries so much. She didn't say a word to me as she walked in.

"Starry, I love you" I tried.

She didn't respond as she flew up the stairs to her room. I heard her door slam.

Why did Hearth's Warming have to be like this? No Soarin, Starshine mad, and me miserable.

I trudged to the living room and laid down on the cloud couch.

The Hearth's Warming tree was to my right side. I decorated all of it while Starshine was at school. That made her mad at me, but it looked nice. It was a fake, pale blue pine tree that was half as tall as the roof. It was covered with rainbow ornaments, like zap apples. A rainbow star was on top, and a few presents were beneath. One of them caught my eye.

It was a small one, about the size of the bottom of my hoof. It was the fancy wrapping paper that drew me in: the paper was the same shade of blue as my coat, and on top was a rainbow…

Get it… rain bow?

Even one of my puns couldn't lift my spirits. Then I noticed something about the special present. In bold mouth it said…

**To: Mom**

**From: Starry ;)**

I let the winking smiley face calm me as I fell asleep on the couch.

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My dreams haunted me again: they were always filled with nonsense and things I couldn't understand.

Sometimes though, I did understand. Like the time in the maze where I abandoned my friends to "Save" Cloudsdale…

_I heard different things talking at the same time._

"_In that box are your wings, you can take them and leave the game or stay wandering through the maze, you're choice"_

"_I'm guessing you are miss Rainbow Dash, famed for her loyalty"_

"_I'm here to deliver a message"_

"_There is no cheating in the game, no flying and no magic"_

This time I heard the voices, but couldn't see the beings who were talking. I was a coward, no doubt. Nopony could see the old Rainbow Dash inside me, and I didn't know if I liked it or not.

"No… NO! NO!" You could tell I was scared. Man, I AM a coward!

A few images flashed in my head: one of them was a memory of Starry's transformation. Another was when she first learned how to fly. One was of Starshine, except she was older and was covered in blue light and she was crying out in pain as a horn grew on her head and tears streaked her face. Another was of Starry crying and looking weak and vulnerable on the ground.

I heard a crowd of voices.

"Starshine! Starshine! Starshine! Starshine!"

"GO AWAY LEAVE HER ALONE!" I screamed as more images popped in my head, but they were things in a frenzy and crazy.

"HELP!"

I laid down and cried.

A white light suddenly filled the roof of my dream and a pale blue aura filled it and everything disappeared except a pony was in front of me.

"Starry?" I asked.

She acted like she didn't hear me. She had a lifeless expression. Was she mad at me?

I stood up and trotted towards her. She wasn't wearing her glasses and she looked like she was half dead and half alive: it kind of scared me. I nudged her.

"Starshine?" I asked again.

No answer.

"Starshine?" I shook her, then I noticed her hoofs were glowing the same blue aura as the one that covered the dream.

"Chill, she's fine" a familiar voice said.

I turned around.

"Lightning Dust?"

I mean, she looked like Lightning Dust, except for the chains attached to a heavy anvil on her. Lightning also looked like a ghost. She looked almost… silver. But still, she kind of looked like the green Pegasus. The one with the yellow pixie cut mane and yellow winged cutiemark.

"The one and only. Starry's not hurt Rainbow" Lightning said.

"How do I know you didn't hurt her?" I challenged.

"Dash, please listen to me. I can explain"

"And why are you in my dream? I don't even like you… since the last time"

"Even if you won't let me explain, I'll still break down what happened after the academy" Lightning Dust insisted.

I sighed. "Spill"

"After the academy, when Spitfire kicked me out, I felt depressed and scared. It tore me apart. I lost my friends, I lost my pride, and I lost my bravery. Just like you, I have a daughter… or had a daughter. She has a broken wing, and she was counting on me becoming a wonderbolt…" As Lightning talked, her eyes were filling with tears. She gulped before continuing. "She… said she wanted me to fly in the sky because it would make her feel like she was flying…"

"I… I'm sorry Lightning… I had no idea" I said.

"It's ok. How I was separated from her, well, I didn't think I could trust anymore… so I ran away. When I realized I wanted to go home, I was too late. My husband had already married somepony else, and I died of a broken heart…" Lightning explained.

"I…"

"It's not your fault, I learned my lesson about trust. Now it's time for you to learn"

"But how can I help her if I know Starshine is like this?" I asked, looking at Starshine's frozen body.

"She is always like this when she's asleep: she doesn't know she does this every night. She travels through dreams and changes them. Right now there are horrible thoughts in her head. The only way to save her is for you to learn your lesson as I did mine. You have until the clock strikes twelve tonight" Lightning Dust said.

"What happens at twelve?" I questioned.

"Starry will wake up on Hearth's Warming morning feeling alone… abandoned. She'll believe that you don't love her."

I couldn't let that happen, no matter what. "What do I need to do?" I asked.

"You will be visited by three spirits, the first one will arrive in ten minutes. Listen to them, or else you'll end up like me, with the chains of life dragging you down" Lightning said.

Suddenly, Lightning disappeared through a hole of light in the ceiling of my dream… the hole was covered in blue aura… the same blue aura on Starshine's hoofs…

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**Until the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok let's get started!**

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I opened my eyes, I was in the living room on the couch… maybe it was just a dream. I guess it was just reminding me to forgive Starry. I shook my head to clear it and I checked the clock on the wall.

10:09 P.M

Wait, if my dream was real, then the first spirit should be here in…

10:10 P.M

I closed my eyes, but nothing happened. I opened them… and sighed. No way was I going to go to sleep again, so I decided to get a snack. I walked into the kitchen to grab an apple… and screamed.

"Hi! I hope you don't mind! I got hungry" A pale green unicorn with a green and white mane was in the kitchen eating a bag of Doritos.

The unicorn had a cutiemark: it was a lyre.

Thinking fast, I grabbed a kitchen knife and held it with my hoofs. I stood on my hind legs and pointed it at the mare. Surprisingly, the green mare didn't do anything or even seem worried. She just looked at me with a bright smile on her face.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" I asked.

"Hey, my name's Lyra: Lyra Heartstrings. I'm the ghost of Hearth's Warming past! Yea!" Lyra said.

"Wait, are you real?" I asked.

"YUP! Now I'm new at this so please be nice to me" Lyra said.

The green unicorn stared at the Dorito bag, shrugged, and with a wave of her hoof it vanished.

I stared in shock as Lyra stared at me with a silly, confused look in her eyes.

"What? I'm a ghost, so this is pretty normal for me" Lyra said grinning.

"Are all ghosts like this?" I asked.

"Well, not _all_ of them. There are some that are ponies but they have special powers, like me. Some are a mist, yell a lot, aren't fun, and scare everypony, even if they don't mean to. And other ones are _really_ scary, but I don't want to tell you about those. We ghosts have a scary reputation but not all ghosts are bad, like me. Now enough about me Rainbow Dash, this is about you and I want to do that job" Lyra answered walking out of the kitchen towards the living room. I followed her.

"So what…?" I didn't finish.

Lyra turned around. "You ask too many questions. Now, let's travel back in time!"

Lyra's horn glowed a dark green and with a poof! We arrived to our destination.

I looked around. "Where…?" I didn't finish as Lyra put her hoof to my mouth. She waved the other one in a gesture, and a piece of paper landed at my hoofs. I read it as Lyra took her hoof off my mouth.

_**Don't make a sound. We're in the past. Look around and you'll find out where we are**_

I obeyed. We were in Ponyville… sort of. It was the chaos capital of the world! I was about to scream when Lyra stopped me again… and more writing appeared on the paper.

_**DID YOU NOT LISTEN! Don't make a sound or we're done for! No pony can see us, but that doesn't mean they can't hear us! And I can't use a lot of magic here cause DI… HE CAN SENSE MAGICAL SURGES! We'll communicate through the paper, but I want you to write what you see. Ok? Here's a pencil**_

A pencil landed beside the paper. I looked around and spotted…him. He was on a grey and red throne thing on a pink checkered hill. He looked bored as he sat there. I grabbed the pencil with my mouth and wrote to Lyra.

_**So, can he sense us?**_

I waited as I watched the Draqoniques. An answer appeared.

_**Well…hard to say. He's not the kind of being to be bored… he did hear it when you said the word where, but he shook it off. If I use any more magic than I already used, we're done for**_

I continued to watch him, and now I saw something I didn't before in his eyes. Loneliness. I had seen that look before, in my own eyes. When the Mysterious Mare Do Well came, and I felt lonely. I wrote to Lyra.

_**He looks… Lonely?**_

I looked at the green mare in shock before writing something else down.

_**How did you…?**_

_**Please Rainbow: no more. It's my turn to ask the questions!**_

I mouthed the words without making a sound. "Seriously?"

Lyra nodded and more writing appeared.

_**What do you see in him?**_

I looked. He was watching everypony running franticly in the streets. They were running away from the chaotic things he had made… cotton candy clouds, flying pigs, bulls in tutus dancing ballet, and floating pies. He looked out into the distance and sighed.

_**A… um… a lonely being. But still, that doesn't mean I can TRUST him!**_

_**I know Rainbow, but some ponies aren't as bad as they seem. You'll learn in time.**_

_**Wait… are you saying?**_

_**NO! I wouldn't know, if you would trust him in the future! That's for the ghost of Hearth's Warming future. Now, let's go somewhere else… just a few minutes after this…**_

_**Wait, didn't you just say you couldn't use magic right now?**_

_**Yeah, but I can still teleport. Man, you need to study you're magicology.**_

With a glow of her horn, we went. We arrived outside Twilight's Treehouse, but it looked like it used to look long ago. It brought back so many memories.

Writing appeared on the paper.

_**Do you know what happened here?**_

_**Um…**_

Suddenly, three grey ponies that I knew well stormed out of the tree.

"Hey, I don't think we're gonna fail when we do this" Applejack said, biting her lip and looking around.

"This is why I hate life!" Pinkie pie cried.

"Well, I hate _your _life" Fluttershy snickered evilly.

"AND what are YOU LAUGHING AT?" Pinkie asked angrily.

"You!"

_**This is when they were fighting instead of helping! I was laying on a cloud, A CLOUD!**_

_**Hey, he hypnotized you… it wasn't YOUR fault!**_

Then I heard a familiar voice from inside the tree house.

"LOOK OUT! HERE COMES TOM!"

A giant boulder crashed out from the balcony and almost landed on AJ… but she got out of the way in time. Rarity and Twilight got out of the treehouse along with Spike. But Spike and Twilight… they weren't grey.

"Well well well, I see you've found the elements of harmony. How terrifying"

Hearing the voice I almost screamed, but Lyra stopped me again… she put her hoof over my mouth (again!) and we both turned around… slowly…

It was Discord.

_**Dash, I swear if you scream…**_ Lyra wrote.

I was frozen.

_**Dash, face your fear!**_

_**WELL I'M STARING, AREN'T I?**_

He was levitating… Lyra and I were between the five ponies, the dragon, and the lord of chaos.

"Discord!" Twilight said angrily. "I figured out your lame riddle… You're in for it now!"

I was about to gasp when Lyra put her hoof over my mouth…

_**Whatever you do, stay still!**_

He dropped to the ground. "I certainly am. You've clearly out dueled me, and now it's time to meet my fate"

The Draqueniques used his magic to make sunglasses suddenly appear over his eyes.

_**What's he playing at? **_I wrote.

_**You'll see**_

"I'm prepared to be defeated now ladies, fire when ready" As he said this, a target appeared on his chest.

"FORMATION NOW!" Twilight yelled to her "friends".

"Eh" everypony answered, getting into their formation.

Twilight turned her head toward a bush. "Rainbow Dash! Get over here!"

Spike came out of the bush, nervously, and ran over to my spot.

"Let's get this over with" Twilight mumbled.

_**They replaced me… WITH SPIKE!?**_

_**Look on the bright side… err… sorry… I've got nothing. But Twilight was just mad, that's all.**_

I groaned a little, but that was a mistake because Discord perked his ears and looked around.

_**Celestia Dash, what's the matter with you? Do I have to cover your mouth EVERY SINGLE TIME!**_

_**Sorry…**_

_**It's fine, just stop messing up!**_

He finally seemed to give up looking for the noise and turned his attention back to the "sort of" elements of harmony.

Twilight's crown glowed and her eyes turned white. Everypony floated in the air, except Spike. Balls of light fired at Discord.

The Draqueniques lowered his glasses in surprise.

Just then, the mares fell.

"What happened?" Twilight asked in shock.

"Mine's workin" Applejack replied. "Must be somethin wrong with yours"

"I hate the elements of harmony!" Pinkie proclaimed.

"Garbage!" Fluttershy took off her necklace and threw it across the purple checkered floor.

"MINE!" Rarity squealed as she snatched the necklace.

Discord walked over to us, we got out of the way and he slow clapped towards the bearers.

"Bravo ladies, bravo. Harmony in Equestria is officially dead. Discord rules and Celestia drools" He said, touching Twilight's muzzle with his claw. Twilight glared in response.

Discord skated away on the soap sidewalks… he twirled and laughed into the distance.

_**Is he five? **_I wrote to Lyra.

Lyra answered_** Acts like it**_. _**Let's go to where this REALLY began!**_

Her horn glowed again and we arrived at somewhere REALLY familiar. Discord was on the throne looking lonely again until he noticed us walking towards him. He cackled and grabbed a glass. He held it under a cotton candy cloud and it filled with chocolate milk. He held it up triumphantly.

"Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing" he said before he drank the chocolate milk. He hadn't finish it…. His eyes widened as he heard Twilight talk.

"NOT as wonderful as friendship!" We… Twilight, AJ, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and I… stood there across from him with confidence.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, this again?" He drank the rest of it and threw the glass away. It made an explosion behind him.

My heart panged at the memory of fear as I stood there… although I had not even shown it that day, I had felt it. I walked up to the Rainbow Dash of the past. I studied her face… Lyra didn't stop me.

This Rainbow Dash had a look of fear/vengeance: I almost cried. As I slowly turned back around to face Lyra I wrote with the pencil.

_**I don't want to see any more**_

Lyra nodded. "Okay, trust your instincts Rainbow" she whispered.

Lyra's horn glowed again. "The next spirit will arrive at eleven o'clock" As she said this everything went black….

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**Until the next chapter! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

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I woke up to the sound of the wall clock chiming. I looked at it ...

11:00 P.M.

Oh great, ANOTHER spirit! So I can't talk? What's this one going to look like? Will it…

I didn't finish my thought, as the sound of "wubs" filled the air. It scared me and I jumped. I looked around for where the sound was coming from… it was so loud!

It was coming from Starshine's room.

Starshine! Listening to dubstep in the middle of the night! I don't think so!

I dashed up the stairs and into Starry's room.

"STARSHINE - SOARIN - DASH!" I screamed on my way up.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I…?" I didn't finish.

Everything in Starshine's room looked normal. All of her stuff was in its place, except (the broken) guitar and a giant bass canon playing dubstep. Starry didn't seem to hear it as she slept. Tears in her eyes… she was crying. But the strangest part was…

"Yo! Sup! These are the beats of HONESTY!" said a white unicorn with a blue crazy mane, wearing sunglasses. She had headphones, also blue, and her cutiemark was a music note. She had a big smile…

I said "Can you turn that off? My daughter's trying to sleep!"

"WHAT?" The unicorn asked.

"I said, can you turn that off! My daughter's trying to sleep!"

"WHAT?"

"CAN YOU TURN THAT OFF? MY DAUGHTER'S TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"OH! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?" The unicorn turned off the bass canon and took off her headphones.

"She couldn't even hear me…" The unicorn remarked.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Whoops, sorry. Sup? My name's Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch! And I'm the ghost of Hearth's Warming present. YO! I'm always in the now! Yeah! I'm awesome!"

"Well, I don't think it's awesome, if you're trying to wake up Starshine" I said coldly.

"You used to be awesome, but then that dude came along and changed your perspective on life. Now you don't trust anypony!" Vinyl said.

"Can we please get this over with... where are we going?" I asked.

"Rainbow", Vinyl shook her head. "Rainbow Rainbow Rainbow, learn your vocab for once, k? _Present _doesn't always mean gift, it means the now! So we're going back to a few hours ago when Starry went for a flight! Okay, let's do THIS!"

Vinyl's horn took on a red aura, and then we were both on a cloud in the sky. I looked around and spotted Starshine. She was on a cloud a few feet away, crying.

"So this is what happened earlier, after I…?" I started but Vinyl cut me off.

"Broke Starry's guitar! Yeah!"

"So we _can _talk?" I asked.

"I follow my instincts. If I want to talk, I talk… AND I'M TALKIN!" Vinyl exclaimed.

"It's more than just talking" I muttered.

"Let's listen to what Starry's thinking, k?" Vinyl's horn glowed red again: and I could hear Starry's thoughts.

"_Does she hate me or something? Maybe I should've ran away to Canterlot when I had the chance…. Maybe…. Maybe she doesn't even want to be my mom? Maybe she doesn't love me? Maybe she hates me!"_

I felt tears rolling off my face.

"_Well if she hates me, then… I'll hate her back!" _Starshine thought.

She flew away without a trace.

"She hates me" I said in shock.

"Tough luck. Sometimes even the smallest act in life can lead to huge consequences. See ya later Rainbow!" Vinyl said as her horn continued to glow red.

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I woke up again on the couch.

The clock chimed…

11: 50 P.M

What? Eleven fifty? I only have ten minutes! Where's the third one?

Suddenly I coughed. Smoke filled the living room… purple smoke. I heard heavy breathing behind me: I turned around. A pony, wearing a black cloak, was there.

I was sort of scared... but this was for Starshine.

"Are you the ghost of Hearth's Warming future?" I cautiously asked.

The being nodded.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

The being didn't answer. Instead it turned toward a black door: the door hadn't been there before… A blue aura covered the door, and it opened to reveal black fog.

"Do I go inside?" I asked.

The being nodded.

I tiptoed inside the door.

I found myself at the cemetery by the Everfree forest. "Why are we here?" I asked the spirit.

It didn't answer, and instead pointed to the right. I followed the finger... I felt waterworks sinking in.

A crowd of ponies: Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Princess Celestia, Soarin, and Starshine, were in front of one of the tombstones. My mom and Dad were there too, but suddenly everypony left, with the lone exception of Starshine. I walked up closer... She had a blue rose in her mouth. She dropped it in front of the tombstone.

"I'm so sorry… all you wanted to do was protect me. I only wish I could've done the same for you... I promise from now on… I will protect myself and dad until the day I die. And not one day will pass that I don't miss you… telling me to not go outside. So I'll never go outside again… _ever!_" As Starshine said these thing, I cried.

She was giving up her freedom? Because of me?

Without another word, Starshine flew into the sky. Suddenly, an unexpected being peeked out from one of the Everfree trees…

Discord.

Normally, I would scream. Normally, I would panic. Normally I would shudder… but this time, I just stood there… not making a sound.

He slowly approached the grave. He said nothing for a long time… he had a sadness in his eyes the whole time.

"I know we had our differences, and you would call me Dip-cord…" (He said that part with a smile.) "But…how do I put this… I'm s… s… sorry for placing a c… c… curse on your daughter. I also have a bigger confession to make… I don't want to be evil. Nopony really understands my nature… the only reason a cast a curse on Starshine was because I was angry at you, all of you. Now I will try to change for Equestria. I don't know how yet... but I hope that you can hear my apology and forgive me. And I vow: I will find a way to change"

Then he snapped his talons. A red rose appeared, and he placed it next to the blue rose Starshine had left.

"I will find a way" Discord repeated, and ran back into the Everfree Forest.

I was touched at his words… But no! It couldn't be true! I'm dead? I cautiously approached the grave… the hooded figure followed.

It was dark… I couldn't read the writing on the tombstone.

"Whose grave is this?" I asked, hoping it wasn't mine.

The hooded spirit put down her hood, revealing her true identity… IT WAS TRIXIE!

Trixie lit her horn, providing enough light for me to read the name… I peeked in… I shivered.

"Yours, Rainbow Dash!" the blue unicorn sneered.

A hole opened up under me, and I fell… landing in a coffin. No! Trixie's evil laugh echoed around me, as Snips and Snails started throwing dirt inside the hole.

"NO! STOP! PLEASE! SOMEPONY WAKE ME UP! I'LL CHANGE!" I screamed.

Nopony heard me, and more dirt piled into the hole, covering my whole body up to my face.

"I'LL CHANGE!" I pleaded…

Another pile of dirt came down.

"I'LL CHANGE!"

My voice muffled out as dirt covered my face…

I woke up, gasping.

I was alive! And it was Hearth's warming! Starry! I need to wake Starry! I got another chance!

I dashed upstairs to her room and flung open the door. She was there… still sleeping. I raised an eyebrow and checked the alarm clock on her nightstand.

6:00 A.M.

I sighed… I looked at the broken guitar on the floor, and a picture of Soarin beside it. I got an idea!

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Starshine's P.O.V

Hearth's Warming!

I shot out of bed and checked my alarm clock…

8:23 A.M.

I grabbed my glasses, brushed my flowing mane, and started to fly when I fell… Right, burned wings. I hurried, carefully down the stairs, and to the blue Hearth's Warming Tree.

Suddenly, my mom came out from behind it. "Hey mom… sorry about…" I didn't finish. She ran up and gave me a huge hug… tears in her eyes. At first I was shocked, but then returned the hug.

As we broke apart the hug I could see my Mom was grinning like crazy.

"Starshine! I'm so sorry. I was so worried when you tried the sonic rainboom! I was yelling at you because I want you to always be safe… and I'm sorry for breaking your guitar!"

"Mom its ok. I'm sorry for ignoring you, yelling, and singing that mean song. Hearth's warming is about love and trust… and yesterday we didn't really have it"

"It's ok Starry. What matters now is that we are together, safe and sound, and we can celebrate together… It's Hearth's Warming!"

I smiled. I got a present for her from under the tree, a rainbow colored one, and gave it to her.

She opened it… it was a blue rose.

"They are really rare" I explained. "I searched all over for one… and please don't get mad, but I went to the edge of the Everfree Forest to get it"

Rainbow stared at it for a long time.

"You hate it, don't you? I knew you weren't a flower fan… but I just thought it'd be cool to…" I got cut off.

"I love it" Rainbow whispered.

"What?"

"I LOVE it!"

We hugged again... then she grabbed something from behind the tree. It was my guitar! It was fixed!

"You fixed it?" I asked with enthusiasm.

She nodded.

"Thank you!" I hugged her again.

"You're welcome. Now, of course there's more presents there… go and open them!" Rainbow exclaimed.

I ran like a kid to the tree and opened all the presents that said: "T**o Starshine"**.

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Rainbow's P.O.V

"Psst!" I turned around.

A white glow was coming from the window, so I flew over to look out of it.

It was Lightning Speed.

She smiled at me before disappearing without a trace.

"Thank you, Lightning Speed" I whispered.

I would let Starry do things on her own, from now on. Maybe even teach her _how_ to do the sonic rainboom!

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Starshine's P.O.V

I had thought I had opened all of my presents, but there was one more… in the strangest wrapping paper I had ever seen! The paper was pink and purple, with checkered patterns on it, and a sparkly red bow.

**To Starshine**

**From Your Secret Admirer**

I was puzzled, but in a good way… a secret admirer? Who could that be?

I opened the present… and I felt even more puzzled… Inside was a red rose!

A secret admirer? Hmmm…

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**The end! I hope you guys liked it! Happy Hearth's Warming! **

**StarRosie out**


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